Introducing Willow, the Squint
by Maeve Bran
Summary: Buffy, Bones crossover. Willow has a new job... at the Jeffersonian's MedicoLegal Lab in DC.
1. Introducing Willow, the Squint

**Title**: Introducing Willow, the Squint

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: K+

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a little fun.

**Summary**: BtVS, Bones. Willow has a new job... at the Jeffersonian's Medico-Legal Lab in DC.

**Notes**: Written for the twistedshorts "Willow" challenge. This is a follow-up to "Buffy Gets Busted".

* * *

"Buffy, are you sure?" Willow asked for the hundredth time as she finished packing.

"Yes, Will, I'm sure. It's time you got to get back to finishing your degree. Besides, from what Dr. Brennan described this job is perfect for you," Buffy reassured her.

Willow zipped up her last piece of luggage, then left the bedroom and went into the living room where Xander, Dawn, and Giles were waiting to see her off. Willow was touched that they had come, for despite working together everyday for the past year to establish a New Watchers Council, they had rarely gotten together as just Scoobies.

"You didn't think you could sneak off to Washington D.C. with out saying goodbye, did you?" asked Xander.

"Apparently not," Willow laughed as she hugged the man with whom she had shared so much. "I'm going to miss you, Xand."

"I'm going to miss you too, Will," he said as he returned the hug. "But you can count on my hitting you up for a place to stay if I'm in DC on Council business."

"We'll muddle through without you for a couple of years, Willow, but as soon as you have that degree we'll need you back," Giles assured her. He hugged her as well.

Willow had already loaded most of her bags into Buffy's car; only the carry on was left. She picked it up and said one last thing to Xander before walking out the door. "Don't let Buffy die. I don't have it in me to bring her back again. Oh, and if the Apocalypse comes, call me. I'll be on the first plane back."

"Sure thing," came the reply.

* * *

The next day, Willow arrived at the Jeffersonian bright and early. She hadn't wanted to be late on her first day of her independent computer studies. She had, of course, had to submit to being photographed and filling out paper work to get her clearances, but after that she found herself on the elevator with someone who seemed both familiar and different.

"You must be Special Agent Booth," Willow said. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Booth seemed started at her greeting. "I'm Booth. How did you know that, Ms...?"

"I'm Willow Rosenberg," she replied. "I've heard about you from Buffy Summers."

As soon as the name Buffy was out of her mouth, the big FBI Agent let out a groan. "What did Buffy tell you?" he asked cautiously.

"Oh, everything. I'm her best friend," Willow threw over her shoulder as she stepped out of the elevator. She almost laughed at his crestfallen expression. "Don't worry, us Scoobies have plenty of really embarrassing under-enchantment stories of our own. There was this time, in high school, that Xander wanted to get back at the girl who broke up with him? He had a love spell cast so he could break up with her instead. It backfired and every woman, and I mean every woman in Sunnydale, except the girl it was intended for fell violently in love with him. I try not to think too much about that. So don't be embarrassed."

"You must have had an interesting high school," Booth laughed, seeming more at ease.

"You have no idea," Willow agreed. Then she turned her attention to the immense space that was the Medico-Legal Lab and looked around. It appeared empty except for her and Booth.

Beside her, Booth let out a low whistle. "This has got to be a first. No matter the time, whenever I've been here at least Bones has been working, if not a squint or two." Booth mused.

"Bones? Squints? Are you high, Agent Booth?" teased the redhead.

"No, I'm not high," Booth answered. "Bones is what I call Dr. Brennan. 'Squints' is a technical term for people who spend a lot of time squinting at evidence for the hard scientific facts. And it's just Booth around here."

"Okay, I guess I'm a squint now, too," Willow mused herself. "Dr. Brennan spends a lot of time here, huh?"

"Yeah, more than is probably healthy for her." Booth paused, then continued; given the embarrasing things she already knew about him, he apparently thought he could trust Willow with a little more. "I had been making some progress in dragging her out of the lab and into the real world, but I blew it."

"You mean that thing in Wolfram and Hart?" Willow asked. "Didn't she hear that you were under mystical suggestion?"

"Yeah, I told her. Angel and Wesley explained it. I know she understood. But still, it hurt her," Booth said, anguished. "I don't just go around kissing every pretty woman I meet. It was so out of character for me."

"The way I heard it, it was more than a simple kiss," Willow stated. "You are not the only one with issues from last week."

"What do you mean? What's wrong with Buffy?" Booth asked, concerned.

"Nothing is wrong with Buffy," Willow hastened to reassure him. "It's just, you must have noticed that you and Angel look alike."

"I noticed," he answered, wryly.

"You do know that Buffy used to date Angel," she continued.

Booth nodded.

"Buffy still loves him, but they can't be together. It was a very traumatic relationship, with a very bad break-up. They've settled into a friendship since but those old feelings are still just under the surface."

Booth's expression said he hadn't thought about Buffy's problems before. He obviously was doing so now. "Buffy must have been really confused."

"I think that covers it. But like I said, we've had a little experience with mystical love spells. I wasn't trying to make you feel worse, just pointing out that you weren't the only one with problems," Willow explained.

"So what do I do?" Booth asked.

"I don't think you can do anything but give it time, and if you have feelings for Dr. Brennan, let her know that she matters more than anything else," Willow answered.

"Alright," Booth said. "So how did you get so wise?"

"My best friend, the Vampire Slayer, has dated two vampires and a black ops military man that was being fed drugs to be super-human. I've dated a werewolf, a powerful witch and another Slayer. My other best friend dated a cheerleader and an ex-vengeance demon." She shrugged. "I've had experience in the world of wacky love lives."

"Okay. Wait, did you say a werewolf?" Booth asked, amazed.

"Yes, a werewolf." Willow shook her head, then tried to lead the conversation elsewhere. "How about a tour of the lab? I'd like to know my way around when the others get here."

"Sure thing." Booth smiled and started to show her around.

(end)


	2. Weaponless Fight

**Title**: Weaponless Fight 

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: K+

**Disclaimer**: I own none of the characters. I'm just borrowing them for a little fun and will return them none the worse for wear to their owners.

**Summary**: Willow writes an e-mail to Buffy about her new job in DC.

**Twistedshorts Challenge**: #38 Weapons

**Notes**: Set after "Introducing Willow, the Squint".

* * *

Buffy-

Yesterday at work, I did a bad thing. I started a pointless debate. It still rages even though Dr. Brennan tries to squash it.

It all started because Angela, Zach, Hodgins and I were sitting up in the lounge waiting for Booth and Brennan to bring us a new case. We were just hanging out and I was bored. So I started thinking. (You know how I have too many thoughts.) It occurred to me to ask the others the question I was thinking. So I blurted out, "If cavemen and astronauts got into a fight, who would win?"

There was a moment of silence while the others contemplated this. Zach then asked, "Are there weapons involved?"

I said, "No. No weapons."

More contemplation.

"Astronauts would clearly win because they would conspire together and treachery wins every time," answered Dr. Hodgins, being the conspiracy theorist that he is.

"Cavemen would win," answered Angela, "because they are in touch with their raw animalistic aggression."

"Astronauts, because they are trained military men." answered Zach.

I remembered the time in college when you turned into CaveBuffy and caused all that havoc with your fellow cavemen, so I answered, "Cavemen, because they don't need weapons. They just use whatever is around them as weapons."

The argument lasted for a half hour, until Booth and Brennan came up to the lounge. They looked at us strangely, because by that time it was a heated discussion and we were all shouting.

Booth did that loud attention-getting-whistle thing and the shouting stopped. Then he asked what we were discussing so loudly… and everyone looked at me.

"If cavemen and astronauts got into a fight, who would win?" I explained sheepishly.

Booth thought for a moment and then asked, "What are they using as weapons?"

"No weapons," the rest of us chorused.

Booth appeared to think seriously and then answered, "Cavemen, because they're instinctual fighters."

At this, Angela started to smirk smugly. Zach was about to explode in indignation, when Brennan stepped in.

"This is highly illogical. Caveman and astronauts do not exist together, so they can not get into a fight." She rolled her eyes in apparent irritation. "Shall we get on with our work? There is a woman in her 20's downstairs that needs identifying, and her murderer needs catching."

Brennan had us there so we shut up and followed her down to our work, but for the rest of the day "Cavemen" or "Astronaut" could be heard whispered under various people's breath. The debate was continued today, too.

My lunch hour is almost over so I'll wrap this up. Next time you talk to Angel, ask him what he thinks. Then have him find out what the rest of the Fang Gang thinks. It's sure to be a hoot.

Willow

--


	3. It's Not Easy Being Green

**Title**: It's Not Easy Being Green 

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: PG13

**Summary**: Booth and Willow have a conversation.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing; just borrowing them for a little fun.

**Twistedshorts Challenge**: #39 Green

**Notes**: Set in my slightly AU season 5 Angelverse. 3rd in the "Willow, the Squint" subseries.

* * *

Willow sat out on the beautiful green lawn of the Jeffersonian Institute in Washington D.C. She had her sunglasses on and was enjoying the spring sunshine while eating her lunch. She had almost finished when Special Agent Seeley Booth came and sat down next to her. She was somewhat puzzled at why the FBI agent had sought her out, but that question was soon answered.

"Have you heard from Buffy lately?" Booth inquired.

"Yeah, I got an email yesterday," Willow replied. "She said to tell you hey."

The witch was amused at the fact that her best friend and the g-man were flirting in noncommittal ways, sending messages back and forth through her. It had to be the silliest thing any of the Scoobies had attempted in a long while. Not that the relationship was going to go anywhere; Buffy hadn't resolved her issues with Spike and Angel, and Booth clearly had feelings for Dr. Brennan. Both were in denial and were using each other as a convenient excuse to resolve nothing. The upshot of it all was that Willow was getting to spend a lot of time in the company of the handsome FBI man. At first, Booth had been embarrassed about Buffy, but once Willow explained he had nothing to worry about he had started to relax.

"So what is she up to?" Booth asked.

"She's busy training new slayers and running the store. She and Faith have just about decided that the girls who survived Sunnydale are ready to go out on their own. Vegas is a hot bed of demonic activity." She smiled as Booth started looking interested. "She said that the other night, while on patrol, they found a nest of a new demon that exploded into a very messy shower of green goo that took her an hour of showering to clean off."

Willow laughed at Booth's expression-- he was looking squeamish. Big tough FBI Agent and he couldn't deal with demon gore? Good thing he and Buffy were never actually going to get together. She gathered up her trash and stood to go. "Agent Booth, it's been nice talking to you, but there is some green slime that Hodgins wants to show me. I don't know why."

Booth laughed. "He probably is trying to impress you."

Willow shook her head in amusement, then walked away.

--


	4. Sunnydale Revelations

**Title**: Sunnydale Revelations 

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: PG

**Summary**: A night out on the town reveals some interesting things for Willow, Booth, and the Squints.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing; just borrowing them for a little fun.

**Twistedshorts** Challenge: #40 Dancing

**Notes**: Set in my slightly AU season 5 Angelverse. 4th in the "Willow, the Squint" subseries.

* * *

Angela Montenegro swept in to the Jeffersonian's Medico-Legal Lab dressed for a night out. It was Friday evening and she was going dancing.

"Willow, sweetie, help me persuade this lot to have some fun." Angela glanced at Zack Addy and Dr. Jack Hodgins who were racing beetles. Dr. Temperance Brennan and her FBI partner, Special Agent Seeley Booth, were arguing in Brennan's office. Angela took in the whole situation and looked back at Willow, shaking her head. "You haven't been here long enough to have developed no life. Surely between the two of us we can get these people to have some fun."

"I'm game. I haven't had many chances for fun since before Sunnydale collapsed," Willow answered. "What with moving to Vegas and then here." Willow would have said more but only Booth and Brennan knew the full story of the Hellmouth. "Dancing and drinks sound good to me. I'll get the guys." Willow nodded towards Brennan's office. "You convince them. I'm not stepping into that. I've had my fill of tension dealing with Buffy and her men."

An hour later, the entire Squint Squad had arrived at the Basement Club. The Club was under new management and more popular than ever. Angela had persuaded Booth to dance with her. Brennan and Zack were deep in conversation about a skeleton, but at least they were out of the lab. Willow and Hodgins were talking when a beautiful black woman came up to say hi.

"Dr. Hodgins, I almost didn't recognize you out of the lab." The newcomer turned and looked Willow up and down, then smiled widely. "Who's your friend?"

"Willow Rosenberg, meet Toni Wood. Willow is Angela's new apprentice from California," Hodgins introduced them.

"Nice to meet you, Toni." Willow shook Toni's proffered hand. "Wood? You wouldn't happen to be related to a Robin Wood?"

"I have a cousin, Robin, who was principal in a California town called Sunnydale. Do you know it?" Toni replied.

"Know it? I grew up in Sunnydale. I watched as it sank into oblivion," Willow answered.

Toni looked a bit anxious. "I haven't heard from Robin in the three months since I heard about the destruction of Sunnydale. Do you know if anyone else survived?"

"Rest easy, Robin was on the last school bus out of town with my friends and I. In fact, he was the one driving," Willow assured her. "I can give you his contact info if you'd like."

"I'd like," Toni responded, smile widening again.

Hodgins had been watching this conversation like it was a ping-pong match. His face showed slight amazement as he realized that not only was Toni flirting with Willow, but that Willow was flirting right back. His face showed that he finally realized the reason he hadn't been able to get anywhere with his own flirting with the redhead.

"Would you care to dance?" Toni asked Willow.

"I'd love that," Willow replied as she followed Toni out on the dance floor.

Just as Hodgins was getting over his surprise, Angela and Booth returned from their own dance. Angela was smirking and Booth was looking almost as confused as Hodgins had been.

"Well, well. I guess that finally answers the question of who gets to date the hot courier," Angela teased.

"No, it doesn't," Hodgins retorted. "It seems that Willow knows Toni's cousin from Sunnydale."

"Not Sunnydale," muttered Booth.

Brennan had been winding down her conversation with Zack when she caught the word 'Sunnydale'. "Sunnydale huh? Now why doesn't that surprise me?" she grumbled sarcastically.

"Brenn, what are you talking about? Other than Willow, who do you know from Sunnydale?" Angela inquired.

Booth and Brennan exchanged glances. "When Booth and I were in LA a few weeks ago, we met some Sunnydale folks. Including Willow's friend Buffy," Brennan explained.

"You met Buffy?" Angela exclaimed. "I've heard some interesting stories from Willow."

"Yes, I met Buffy, but you'll have to ask Booth about her. Let's just say he got to know her better than I did," Brennan practically spat out.

Now that the conversation had gotten really interesting Zack and Hodgins were paying more attention. Angela was hanging on every word. Willow doesn't talk much about herself but when she does, Buffy is usually involved in the story. Now to find out that Booth and Brennan had met her added a twist to things. Something must have happened with her that caused the current iciness between the G-man and the anthropologist. Interesting, Angela thought.

"So what happened with Buffy?" asked Hodgins, seemingly oblivious to the under currents in the room.

"Nothing, except that I was caught in a compromising position with her," Booth rushed through the explanation. Brennan raised an eyebrow as he continued. "It was an accident but Bones and a couple of executives at the law firm walked in the room at that exact moment."

Hodgins looked as though that was a good enough explanation for him, but Brennan was still glaring at Booth. Booth responded irritably. "I thought we agreed to never bring that up, Bones."

"You asked me to never bring it up, but I didn't agree," Brennan snapped.

"Fine." Booth answered. Before Brenna could say anything else Booth held his hand out to her, "Will you dance with me, Bones."

Brennan seemed surprised that he'd ask, but she agreed. Booth led her out to the dance floor, leaving the remaining squints to stare after them with slightly confused expressions.

--


	5. Bugs

**Title**: Bugs 

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: PG

**Summary**: Willow and Angela reconstruct a face that seems to cause bugs in the Angelator's programming. Only things aren't what they appear.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Bones. I'm just take the characters out for a little fun and will return them to their owners.

**Twistedshorts Challenge**: #41 Supernatural Title

**Notes**: Set in my slightly AU season 5 Angelverse. 5th in the "Willow, the Squint" subseries.

* * *

It was Monday morning at the Jeffersonian and the Squint squad was had at work on the latest case. Special Agent Seeley Booth had already been by with a skeleton and Angela Montenegro had taken the necessary measurements for her computer program. She and her apprentice Willow Rosenberg sat staring at the results.

"This just can not be," Angela said. "There must be a bug in the programming."

Willow hoped that her boss was right, but feared that it was not true. She was very much afraid that her past was about to interrupt her present. She had thought she had left the Hellmouth behind when Sunnydale had collapsed, but there in 3D was the proof that she was never going to escape the minions of Hell. Angela's shock was the result of apparent horns growing on either side of the skeleton's forehead. Willow had suspected at once that the victim was a Pylean, like Angel's friend Lorne. Angela had shut down the simulation and was running through the programming code line by line.

"I need to speak with Dr. Brennan for moment, if you can spare me," Willow finally said.

"Sure, I think I can manage this by myself," Angela replied. As Willow left Angela's work area, she heard, "I just don't get it."

Willow walked down the hall to Brennan's office. She knocked on the open door. Brennan called out for her to enter, and when Willow entered she found that the Forensic Anthropologist was not alone; her partner the FBI Agent was with her. Willow didn't mind, as she needed to speak to them both.

"Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan, we may have a problem." Willow said as she sat on Brennan's couch facing Brennan, who was sitting at her desk, and Booth, who was perched on the desk's corner.

"What kind of problem?" inquired Booth.

"The kind that requires calls to LA and Vegas," Willow answered.

"That kind of problem," Booth grumbled. "So what is it? A vampire?"

"No, those turn to dust. Well, except for the Master ,and Buffy ground his bones to dust with a sledgehammer six years ago," Willow replied. "No, this one is a Pylean."

"A what?" Brennan asked.

"A Pylean. You remember Lorne, don't you, Agent Booth?" Willow teased.

"Yeah, I remember Lorne. Thank you for reminding me," he teased back.

"Lorne is Pylean. Angela is convinced that the horns are a bug in her programming, so she is going over every line of the Angelator's programming trying to find it. I think she needs to be told, but it is not my place. I'm just her apprentice and not in any position to tell her," Willow explained.

"I'll do it. I'm her boss," Brennan said, then got up to do just that. "Booth, why don't you call LA and Vegas?" Brennan left the room not waiting for a reply.

"Sure, I'll do that," Booth answered to the room in general, then he appeared to remember that Willow was still there. "That is, unless you want to call Buffy yourself?" He flashed the "charm smile" at her.

"Normally, I'd love to talk to Buffy, but I think this needs to be an official call. Like I said, I'm just and apprentice," Willow answered with a smirk.

As she got up to leave, Booth sighed and pulled out his cell. She walked out the door as she heard him make the call to LA.


	6. Dance of Sorrow, Part One

**Title**: The Dance of Sorrow, Part 1 

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: K+

**Summary**: Buffy and Angel go to DC to deal with Willow and Angela's strange discovery.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Angel or Bones or the movie These Girls. No harm intended and no profit made.

**Prompt**: twistedshorts #42, Choices.

* * *

Buffy was just getting ready to dial a familiar number, when the phone rang.

"Hello," Buffy answered.

"Buffy," Angel said.

"Angel, I was just going to call you," Buffy replied with a smile. "I got a phone call from Agent Booth. Am I to assume you got one too?"

"Yeah," Angel answered. "So what are we going to do?"

"I talked to Giles and he'd like me to go and look into why a Pylean wound up in D.C.," Buffy said, slightly irritated at having to go just to satisfy Giles's curiosity but glad to be able to see Willow. "What are you going to do?"

"I was thinking of going too," Angel said, a little shyly. "If you don't mind, I could even pick you up in Vegas."

"You mean, fly together in the Wolfram and Hart cooperate jet? Sure. It beats using Council funds. Giles will like that," Buffy said.

Just then, Dawn came in and handed Buffy a note.

"Just a minute Angel, Dawn just came in," Buffy excused herself as she scanned the note. "It seems there is a new slayer on the East Coast of Canada. I think if I take Dawn I can go and pick up this slayer and rejoin you in DC afterward. "

"You mean to start the investigation and then run off and leave me?" Angel asked.

"Sure, you are after all, the detective. I'm just the one who's really good at driving wooden stakes into stuff. Surely you can handle the investigation with the help of Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan," Buffy chided.

"Yeah, I think I can handle it, but why not go take care of the slayer first and then meet me there?" asked Angel.

"Because I want Willow to come along in case something goes wrong. I might need a powerful witch along with a Watcher in training," Buffy explained.

* * *

The next morning, the Wolfram and Hart jet was waiting at the private airport when Buffy and Dawn arrived. They were escorted on board by a fetching blond stewardess. Once the flight was underway and everyone had settled in, Dawn was bursting with questions for Angel. Finally she could contain it now longer.

"Angel, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" inquired the Watcher in training.

"Go ahead." Angel agreed.

" So what is the deal with Angelus and puppies?" inquired Dawn.

"What-- Where did you-- Oh, you're reading the Watcher Diaries, aren't you?" Angel sputtered.

"Uh, yeah. So what is up with the puppies?" insisted Dawn.

"It was a mental torture. I don't like to talk about Angelus' exploits if you don't mind," snapped Angel as he reverted to his normal brood mode.

"From what I hear, after you got your soul you saved a puppy or two," Buffy said.

"Where did you hear that?" asked a puzzled Angel.

"A little birdie. She answers to the name of Faith," teased Buffy.

"Right, she told you about that Orpheus trip," sulked Angel.

"Yeah, she did. She was somewhat impressed even while she was laughing over the stupidity of saving a puppy," Buffy laughed.

"I'm glad I can amuse." Angel continued to sulk.

They passed the rest of the flight in silence. Dawn had other questions she'd have liked to ask Angel, but her long experience with the Souled Vampire had taught her that now was not the time to ask them.

* * *

It was dark when the plane landed and the trio went straight to the Jeffersonian. Angel was particularly glad of this as the Medico-Legal lab had lots of skylights. He'd envisioned trying to pretend to be human while dodging all that sun and was not amused at the thought.

Agent Booth was waiting for them when they stepped off the elevator. "Wow, I didn't expect you both to come," he greeted them.

"Oh, Dawn and I just hitched a ride on Angel's cooperate jet. We'll be leaving with Willow in the morning for Canada," Buffy answered, clearly a little uncomfortable in the FBI man's presence. Booth, as well, seemed uncomfortable in the blonde Slayer's company.

"Oh, uh, good," Booth managed while shifting uncomfortably. "This way to the Angelator." He led them into Angela Montenegro's inner sanctum, where the Pylean skull was on display.

Angel gasped. He recognized that particular Pylean from his trip to Pylea two years ago; it was Lorne's brother, Numfar. This investigation was possibly going to be bigger than he thought.

"Willow was right that is a Pylean, but not only that, I know this particular Pylean. It's Lorne's brother, Numfar," Angel said. "What am I going to do? I should stay and investigate, but I also should go back to LA and tell Lorne in person," Angel said, anguished.

Buffy came over and put a hand on his back to comfort him.

"Why don't you call Wesley and have him tell Lorne?" Dawn spoke up for the first time since entering the Jeffersonian.

Angel looked at her with amazement, although it shouldn't surprise him that Dawn had grown up and was not the little girl he remembered. "I'll just go do that. If you will excuse me?"

Angel got up and walked out into the hall to call Wesley.

(tbc)


	7. Dance of Sorrow, Part Two

**Title**: The Dance of Sorrow: Part 2 

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: K+

**Summary**: Buffy, Dawn, and Willow get more than they bargained for when they seek out a slayer in Canada.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Angel or Bones or the movie These Girls. No harm intended and no profit made.

**Prompt**: This chapter also answers TtH Challenge #1424, Not A Robot.

**Notes**: I know the movie These Girls takes place in June and July, but let's pretend it takes place in November, okay?

* * *

The Wolfram and Hart jet touched down out side of the town of Shediac, New Brunswick, Canada after dark on a Tuesday night. Buffy had wanted an early start after dropping Angel off in D.C., but Willow had to finish up some paperwork regarding the discovery of Numfar. They had left six hours later than originally planned so it was pretty late but Buffy, Dawn, and Willow were anxious to discover the identity of the newest slayer to be discovered.

Willow performed the locator spell as soon as they were settled and enchanted the map to keep track of the slayer's movement. Once her identity was established, the three would then decide the best way to approach the slayer with the news.

They followed the map to a house with a greenhouse out back. They hung back in the shadows as a man on a motorcycle came riding up. He got off and went to the house and for a minute he was illuminated by the porch light. Willow and Buffy and Dawn all exchanged glances.

"It can't be," whispered Buffy.

"Two I'll accept, but not three," said a stunned Dawn.

"It must be an Angelbot," whispered Willow, thinking of a parcel that resided in the plane's cargo hold.

She had asked Dawn to get the remains of the Buffybot and bring them for Zack Addy to study. He had told her about the small robot he had built and had given to Booth for Christmas, and Willow thought he might enjoy looking at and taking apart what remained of the Buffybot. Zack would be able to use the bot and no one else wanted it; it had been dumped in a pile of outdated technology outside the city limits of Sunnydale and had therefore survived the collapse of the Hellmouth. Willow had had Dawn fetch it soon after Willow had started work at the Jeffersonian and this was the first chance Dawn had to bring it out with her. But the Buffybot would just have to wait until this situation with a new slayer was resolved.

The stunned trio watched as the door swung open to reveal a teenage girl who threw herself in the Angelbot's arms and tried to French Kiss the bot.

"Definitely a copy of Angel. Right down to the doing it with teenage girls," muttered Willow.

"Hey," Buffy exclaimed. Then, after a pause in which the couple went in to the house, she conceded. "But you're right, it is Angel's MO. Or was."

"Are you sure that that girl is the slayer?" asked Dawn.

"Pretty darn," replied Willow.

They stayed on board the plane that night and then set out in the daylight to find out about the new slayer. Dawn learned, at the snack shack on the beach, that her name was Glory Lorraine. When she returned to the plane and imparted the information, both Buffy and Willow seemed a little disturbed by that.  
"Glory, huh? That name will take some getting used to," Buffy said, obviously remembering the last being they ran into with that name.

That night they again spent on the plane. Thursday was spent in finding more about Glory, as was Friday. Friday night they finally had enough to talk to Glory. They got out the map and again tracked her to the Angelbot's house. Only when they got there, the door was wide open and no one was home. A window was broken and a lamp was smashed.

Willow, Dawn and Buffy were assessing the situation when Glory and a brunette returned and called for a Keith. The newcomers introduced themselves as Glory Lorraine and Kiera St. George. They explained that there was an attack and that they had come to see if Keith was all right, but before they could question Buffy, a car came up. Glory and Kiera rushed out.

"Kieth isn't here," said Glory.

"Don't worry, he's with us. We'll meet you around back," answered the girl in the car.

The Slayer, Witch and Watcher went around back with the rest and were slightly shocked to see the Angelbot in the trunk of the car. This must Keith. The girl in the car got out, carrying a baby.

When Keith revived, the revelations that came pouring out around the Sunnydale contingent just stunned them and they were in shock until the words, "I'm pregnant." cut through the confusion. It was Glory going on about how she and Keith were going to have a child together.

"A pregnant slayer?" mouthed Buffy to Dawn, who looked as confused as the other two. Looks passed between them and they slipped out of the house in the ensuing chaos.

Once out of earshot of the house they stopped to try to unravel the situation.

"So Keith is not a robot," stated Dawn. "I mean robots may be functional and all - a thought I don't want to contemplate- but they can't get a girl pregnant."

"Angel never would have seduced three teenagers. I guess there really are three men that look like that. Dang. What a universe," said Buffy contemplating the chances of that.

"If there had to be three men who looked a like at least they are too handsome for words," stated Willow, drawing stunned looks from Buffy and Dawn. "What? I can't admire good-looking men? Just because I prefer women in my bed, it doesn't mean I'm blind to a perfectly good specimen of manhood."

"Okay, whatever," Dawn replied. "I need to call Giles to warn him of the situation." The three of them headed back to the plane for the night.

The next morning found Buffy on the Lorraine doorstep flanked by Willow and Dawn. Glory herself answered the door and invited them in, since her parents were out.

"You were there last night, weren't you," Glory accused.

"Yes, we were. We were looking for you," said Buffy.

"Why?" asked Glory.

"Because you are a vampire slayer," Dawn blurted out.

"I'm a what?"

"Vampire slayer. One born with the strength and skill to fight off the demons and vampires," said Buffy. "A chosen one. Have you noticed being stronger since May?"

"I guess I have. I hadn't really thought of it. What happened in May?" asked Glory.

"I did a spell and made every potential slayer a slayer. Long story, and Buffy will tell you it someday soon," explained Willow.

"We're here to offer you a place at the Summers School for Gifted Women in Las Vegas, Nevada." said Dawn.

"The what?" asked Glory.

"Slayer University," Buffy summarized. "A school that was set up for all the newly activated slayers."

"Your baby will have all the 'Aunties' you can stand. The place also comes with a job offer of working in the office supply warehouse which funds the school," Willow assured her.

"I'll go with you. It sounds like with you my baby and I will be able to make it," Glory answered.

There were more details to be taken care of, of course, but now that they had her answer it didn't take all that long to finish up. A little over a day later, they bundled Glory and her things into the Wolfram and Hart jet and set out for D.C. to rejoin Angel and check on the progress of the Numfar investigation. From the things he had said on the phone the last couple of days, the situation wasn't all that urgent yet, but knowing their luck, it would be soon.

The last thing they did before they left Shediac was to get a picture of Keith from Glory. Buffy couldn't wait to see Angel's and Booth's faces when she showed it to them.

Not to mention, Glory's reaction to them...

(tbc)


	8. Dance of Sorrow, Part Three

**Title**: The Dance of Sorrow: Part 3 

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: K+

**Summary**: Glory adjusts to her new situation.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Angel or Bones or the movie "These Girls". No harm intended and no profit made.

**Notes**: I'm going off the Canadian version of the movie which has younger ages for the girls.

* * *

The Wolfram and Hart jet flew from Shediac, New Brunswick, Canada to Washington D.C, carrying a quartet of women. Willow Rosenberg spent the time conversing with Glory Lorraine, the newest member of the group.

"Mind if I ask you a question?" Willow asked.

"Go ahead." Glory replied.

"Not that I mind, but why were you so willing to come with us? I mean we are three complete strangers. How did you know you could trust us?" Willow queried.

Glory thought for a moment, then replied. "I'm seventeen and pregnant. The baby's father is a married man who wants to get rid of me. My only other choice is to get together with Donny and let him take care of me. At least your offer came with a job and people to help raise my baby. It wasn't much of a choice for me."

"That makes sense. I just bet your baby will be incredibly spoiled in Vegas," Willow assured her.

Minutes later, the jet touched down at a private airport. When they deplaned, the group was met by a sight that nearly had Glory fainting. Fortunately, Buffy was prepared and caught her as she began to sag.

"That can't be," Glory whispered to Buffy after she regained her composure.

"Yes, it can be. I must admit I had nearly the same reaction to Keith," Buffy replied.

"What's wrong with her?" Special Agent Seeley Booth asked. "Is she sick or something?"

"It's a long story . . ." Buffy started.

"It can wait until we get back to the Jeffersonian or somewhere," Angel said. "Clearly this will be best explained in privacy."

"Yes, it will. But let me just say that two of you isn't enough for the universe," Willow chimed in.

"You mean . . .?" Booth exclaimed. "This definitely needs a private place to be explained."

An hour later Willow, Booth, Angel, Buffy, Dawn, and Glory were all ensconced in the living room of Willow's apartment. The room was done in cream with red accents. It was different, but suited the redheaded witch perfectly. Geeky clean with hints of the historical in the plush red velvety tapestry of the throw pillows and curtains, which were drawn to save Angel from a fiery death. The group had gathered there for explanations both about Glory and about Numfar.

Willow was busy getting things together for tea and coffee. Buffy was sitting in one corner of the couch with her feet tucked up under her, clutching a pillow to her chest. Glory was mirroring her in the other corner. Both were uncomfortable in the presence of Angel and Booth, for different reasons-- Buffy because of her past with both men, Glory because of their resemblance to Keith and because she was alone with these very strange people. Dawn was sitting on the floor in front of the couch. Angel was sitting in a straight-backed chair taken from the nearby kitchen table. He seemed genuinely puzzled. Booth was restlessly pacing in front of the coffee table.

Willow moved from the kitchen area and set a tray with the coffee and tea down on the table. Everyone soon had a red earthenware mug with their beverage of choice doctored they way they liked it. Then they settled down to the business at hand.

"First, why did she faint upon meeting Angel and I? Second, who is she?" Booth started the conversation when no one else seemed willing to.

"This is Glory Lorraine. She is the newest vampire slayer to be found." Buffy introduced the girl. Then she turned to Glory, "Glory, I'd like you to meet Special Agent Seeley Booth of the FBI and . . ."

"I'm Angel." Angel said, "And you should know I'm a vampire, but I have a soul." Glory looked confused and horrified at this news. "I've fought by Buffy's side for years."

"That he has." Buffy agreed.

"You didn't answer the question about why we were so shocking." Booth pointed out.

"Well, Glory's, uh, boyfriend was your and Angel's triplet." Dawn spoke up for the first time. "When we got there, he broke up with her in a scene that made any scene between you and Buffy, Angel, look like a walk in the park."

Dawn stared daggers at Angel, who at least had the grace to appear ashamed of his past behavior. Then she pulled out the picture Glory had brought with her and handed it to Angel, who handed it to Booth. "You can see the resemblance," she said.

"I haven't seen myself in a mirror since Pylea, three years ago, but yeah, I can see the resemblance. How about you, Seeley?" Angel asked.

"Yeah, I see it," Booth agreed.

"Well, the shock of your appearance combined with her condition, naturally made Glory nearly faint." Willow explained.

"Her condition?" Angel asked puzzled.

""She's pregnant, then," Booth stated. Glory nodded miserably. "Admittedly, I don't know them that well, but Buffy and Dawn will take good care of you."

Glory appeared relieved to hear someone else confirm her opinion of the Summers women. Granted, she didn't know this stranger, who looked like Keith but was acting his total opposite, but if you couldn't trust an FBI Agent, who could you trust?

"I thought so too, that's why I came with them," Glory finally spoke up. "Enough about me. You said you were a vampire?" Glory turned to Angel. "I don't know much about being a slayer but aren't you supposed to be the enemy?"

"Normally a vampire would be dust if he got close to Buffy, but I have a soul," Angel tried to explain.

"You mentioned that before, but what does that mean?" she asked.

"Yeah, I would like the full explanation on that one. Back in LA you gave Bones and I a brief explanation, but I've never been really clear on the whole vampire with a soul thing. Both you and Spike have souls, but what does that mean?" Booth asked, seeing an opportunity to fill in the gaps he had in the story.

Angel was silent for a moment. The guilt of the past was almost palpable to the three ladies from Sunnydale. They knew the story Angel was about to tell.

"I was one of the most renowned vampires ever. The Watcher's diaries record my acts as some of the most gruesome acts of violence in their histories. I'm not bragging, but telling you this so you know what Buffy, Dawn, and Willow know. That is, as Angelus I was the worst mass murderer you could ever meet. Then one day my sire, Darla, brought me a gift. A young Gypsy girl, not too bright but pretty and loved by her clan. I killed her like I had killed many others. Her clan elders conjured the perfect revenge. They gave me back my soul. You have no idea what it is like to have done the things I did and then suddenly to care. In one instant, all the guilt and remorse I hadn't felt, because I'd had no soul, for a hundred and fifty-six years fell on me. A century and a half of slaughter and in an instant the guilt came. It nearly killed me."

Booth and Glory appeared to be stunned and then shocked as Angel explained. "After I got a soul, I spent a hundred years searching for a way to be with Darla, but since I felt remorse for killing I would only kill the occasional murderer to live. But Darla wouldn't take me like that, she demanded I kill innocents still and I couldn't. Then I met Buffy and decided to try to seek redemption and make up for my past, only I don't think I ever will be able to."

"There are just some things you can never make up for," Booth agreed. His face spoke of a guilt that nearly mirrored Angel's, and an understanding passed between the doppelgangers. The rest of the group was silent for a moment, as they observed the man and vampire.

"What is a sire?" Glory broke the silence.

"A vampire who turns a human into another vampire is said to have sired the new vampire. The new vampire is the childe of the sire," Dawn explained as pompously as either Giles or Wesley would have, when they were new Watchers and hadn't had to be in the field. "Although the term can also be applied to any senior vampire in the line."

"Thank you, Dawn," Buffy said, giving her sister a look. "Any other pressing questions, Glory? Or are you regretting your choice in a new life? Once you learn all of what goes bump in the night you'll never be able to go back."

"It is a lot to absorb, but what do I have to go back to? Keith doesn't love me. My best friends have moved on to their schools. I have made my choice," Glory stated flatly. "But I do have a question."

"Go ahead." Buffy said soothingly.

"My fuzzy understanding of being a Slayer is to kill vampires. So how do I do that?" Glory asked.

"Yes, that is the job," Buffy answered as she looked at Angel. She wasn't used to explaining how to kill vampires in front of Angel. She seemed to be uncomfortable at the idea.

"Buffy, don't worry." Angel sensed the reason for discomfort. "I'm used to explaining how to kill me. If I revert to Angelus, I'd like to know that those that I care about will be able to do something about it." Then he turned to Glory. "We can be killed by a wooden stake to the heart, decapitation, sunlight, or by being set on fire. A vampire turns to dust when killed."

'I think that covers all the basics," Buffy said as a way to end the conversation that was making her more and more uncomfortable. "So, Booth, how is the investigation into the Numfar thing coming?"

"We have made some progress, but all the information is at the Jeffersonian. Why don't we meet there tomorrow, and Dr. Brennan, Angela, Angel, and I can bring you up to speed," Booth answered.

"Sounds like a plan," Buffy agreed. "It's been a day, and I think we all could use a good night's rest."

Booth and Angel left the women at Willow's apartment after making firmer plans for the next day.

(tbc)


	9. Dance of Sorrow, Drabbles

**Dance of Sorrow Drabbles**  
_by Maeve Bran_

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Angel or Bones.

* * *

**Title**: Angel FBI Man  
**Summary**: Angel is mistaken for someone else.  
**Prompt**: tthdrabbles #32 - Jobs

Angel entered the FBI Building. He was looking for Special Agent Seeley Booth in the Agent's office. Though it was late, the outer offices weren't yet fully abandoned for the day. Angel was surprised when one of the young secretaries walked up to him and started talking to him.

"I put the file you wanted on your desk, as I wasn't sure you were coming back in today." She said. "What's with the black on black ensemble and the spiky hair?"

Angel unconsciously put a hand up to feel hair. "Uh nothing. Just felt like a change." he responded.

* * *

**Title**: The Perfect Fortune  
**Summary**: Angel and Booth at dinner.  
**Prompt**: tthdrabbles #31 - Fortune Cookies

Angel and Seeley Booth were sitting at the counter at Wong Foo's. The restaurant was almost deserted so Syd didn't mind the papers and pictures that were spread around them. Booth's dinner was almost gone and Angel was on his third cup of coffee. Booth had been amused when Syd, after a solid minute of staring at Angel, had brought out just the coffee. They were finally making progress as to why Numfar might have been in the city. Booth opened his fortune cookie and laughed.

"You will find what you seek." he read aloud. Angel managed a wry smile.

* * *

**Title**: Not Like the Movies  
**Summary**: Angel and Booth investigate.  
**Prompt**: tthdrabbles #30 - Vampire Flicks

Seeley Booth was frustrated. He had just spent the better part of the afternoon trying to get a witness to talk. So far all he had managed was to find out that "the green guy with red horns had lived in one of the tunnels under the city." Booth entered the room where Angel had been watching the interview. He paced around the room nervously for a minute before he spoke.

"You're sure you're a vampire right?" Booth asked narrowing his eyes at his companion.

"So the mirror and the blood habit tell me." Angel answered sarcastically, wrinkling his forehead.

"Couldn't you just mesmerize him into telling us everything?" Booth asked hopefully.

"This isn't a vampire flick. Not all of us are gifted with that skill." Angel said defensively. "Although my Childe Drusilla, was extremely gifted."

"Your what?" Booth asked puzzled.

"My Childe. I sired Drusilla." Angel explained. "She was, and probably still is, absolutely insane but very gifted. I've seen her make a man believe she was his dead lover come back to life just to get a little information for me."

"And you said it wasn't like the vampire movies," Booth muttered shaking his head in disbelief.

* * *

**Title**: Coffee Talk  
**Summary**: Angel and Booth contiue their conversation about vampires.  
**Prompt**: tthdrabbles #29 - Legends

Angel was sitting across from Booth at Wong Foo's again. Syd had looked at the two men and brought coffee for them both. He also brought apple pie and ice cream for Booth. Not a word was said about the liquid diet for Angel.

"So tell me more about your family." Booth asked.

"I killed my real family as one of my first acts after being turned. But I don't think that is who you were referring to," Angel baldly stated. Booth looked somewhat uncomfortable at the reminder that he was sharing a table with the greatest mass murderer whom he'd ever meet.

"No that wasn't what I was talking about. You mentioned Drusilla earlier. Were there others you sired?" Booth asked as his curiosity got the better of him.

"I sired many others but never spent more than a couple years with any of them except Dru. She in turn sired Spike. I spent eighteen years traveling with them and my sire, Darla. We wreaked havoc on most of Europe. We even met Dracula." Angel said.

"You mean he exists?" Booth asked incredulously.

"He most definitely does. Dracula even owes Spike eleven pounds," Angel answered with a smile.

* * *

**Title**: Waiting for Angel  
**Summary**: Booth picks Angel up for the day's work.  
**Prompt**: tthdrabbles #14 - Independence

Booth stood before Willow's apartment waiting for the door to open, not that it would be the redheaded opening the door. No, he was waiting for Angel to open it. Booth had offered his guest room for the Vampire but he supposed that Angel had needed his independence or had been ashamed of needing to sleep in a coffin or something. Angel had taken Willow's offer of her apartment instead. So here Booth stood, wondering what was taking so long and getting impatient to get the day's investigation going since they would be slowed down by avoiding the sunlight.

* * *

**Title**: Vampire in the Tunnel  
**Summary**: The investigation continues.  
**Prompt**: tthdrabbles #16 - It's a mystery

Booth was staring after Angel walking swiftly down the tunnel. Booth and Brennan were just trying to keep up. Finally Angel stopped before a dead end in side tunnel. There was evidence of someone living there. Angel picked up a teal longed sleeved shirt. Booth and Brennan shared a look.

"How does he do that?" Brennan asked in a whisper, as she had not spent as much time with the Vampire.

"I don't know. It's a mystery to me," Booth whispered back.

"I followed the scent of a Pylean. Vampires had really good senses of smell, especially when it comes to blood," Angel explained.

"How'd he hear us?" Booth whispered to Brennan.

"Vampire hearing is way better than you can imagine. I can hear the subway on the tracks two levels above us," Angel explained with a patience he was rapidly losing.

"This was mine. Last I saw it, the Groosalugg was wearing it," Angel explained.

"The who?" asked Booth.

"The Groosalugg. He was ruler in Pylea before he was over thrown. He was in LA a year and half ago, but he left," Angel answered.

"So we have another Pylean. I guess it is a lead," Booth concluded.

--


	10. Dance of Sorrow, Part Four

**Title**: The Dance of Sorrow: Part 4 

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Summary**: The investigation into Numfar continues.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Angel or Bones or the movie These Girls. No harm intended and no profit made.

**Prompt**: twistedshorts #46, Storms.

* * *

It was a rainy, cloudy, stormy day. Just the way Angel wanted it, since the sun was hidden. It meant he could walk around the city and the Jeffersonian without causing comment. He was glad. Booth and Brennan both knew who and what he was but the others didn't. He wasn't wanting to have to tell Dr. Hodgins, Dr. Goodman or Zack. He knew he probably would one of these days but that day wasn't this day. Only Angela had been told. She'd had to be told when her reconstruction had turned up a Pylean.

He had been investigating for a few days with this group of-- what had Booth called them-- squints. They weren't Buffy's Scoobies with their quirky senses of humor and creative use of the English language. The squints weren't even his own fang gang with their interesting backgrounds and difficult couple of years. All the same, the squints were a family like the other two groups and he respected that.

So far the investigation had turned up the fact that some how Numfar had found the Groosalug and the two had been living in the tunnels of DC for a few months. Their camp had been abandoned for at least a week, though. Angel wondered where Groo had gone to after LA and how he had ended up in DC with Numfar. It was weird that two of the few Pyleans he knew had somehow met up, and then one was dead.

Brennan had identified the cause of death as decapitation. Angel knew, however, that that wouldn't be enough to kill a Pylean. Hadn't Lorne had his head cut off and still been talking? That meant that Numfar's body was still out there somewhere, mutilated. It was the only way for the death to be permanent. Then the key to this case would be to find Numfar's mutilated corpse or to find the Groosalug or both.

Angel had reached the Medico-Legal lab by this time and could hear the rain continue to hit the skylight. It was a perfect day for him to be here and not holed up in the corporate jet-- since Willow had got back last night he had gone back to the Wolfram and Hart jet instead of her apartment.

The group was just gathering. Willow, Buffy, and Dawn were standing in Angela's office talking to her. Brennan and Booth were bantering in her office; he could hear them with his super vampire hearing. Zack and Hodgins were up on the platform arguing about whose beetle was superior. It was all really normal. Angel wondered at how this normality could continue when one of his best friends' world was crashing down.

(tbc)


	11. Dance of Sorrow, Part Five

**Title**: The Dance of Sorrow: Part 5 

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Summary**: The investigation continues.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Angel or Bones. No harm intended and no profit made.

**Prompt**: twistedshorts #47, Monkey Wrench.

* * *

Angel was waiting for the sun to set, lost in his thoughts. He was comfortable in his private cabin on the Wolfram and Hart jet parked at a private airport. He knew his life, or rather his unlife, was kind of complicated, but the news that the Groosalug was here involved in this was just about too much.

He knew the danger of judging things by appearances, but things didn't look good for Groo. It appeared that Groo had something to do with Numfar's death. There had to be an explanation, though. Angel did not want to face Cordelia with the news that the Groosalug had killed Lorne's brother. That is, if Cordy ever regained consciousness.

This was a monkey wrench in the tool box of his life that he did not need. There had to be something he could do... after the sun set, of course, because he had no intention of dieing a fiery death at this juncture.

------------------------------------------------------

Special Agent Seeley Booth found himself seated across from his doppelganger on the latter's plane. No matter how well he and Angel worked together, no matter how much he enjoyed the vampire's company, he would never be completely comfortable in Angel's presence.

First of all, looking at the paler reflection of his own self was disturbing. The second reason was that the occasional casual reminder of how many people the vampire had killed disturbed the FBI man. Lastly, the need to avoid the sunlight meant crawling around in the dark, not that Booth was scared, but it meant he didn't have time to see Tessa.

The investigation was coming along, but Booth had a feeling that their most recent discovery had disturbed the vampire for unknown reasons. He hesitated to ask because most of his questions had been answered with answers he hadn't been happy about knowing. There were many things that Booth had been ignorant about and he had been happy in his ignorance, but he knew about them now and had to do something.

(tbc)


	12. Slime

**Title**: Slime

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: T

**Summary**: Willow muses on the love lives of those she works with as a distraction from what she is actually doing.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Bones.

**Notes**: Challenge fic, set in my slightly AU season 5 Angelverse. Part of the "Willow, the Squint" subseries. This chapter occurs after the unfinished "Dance of Sorrows" storyline but before "Our Mrs. Addy" (which is posted separately). Refers back to another fic, "Buffy Gets Busted".

* * *

Willow was up to her gloved wrists in some sort of slime. She had volunteered to help Dr. Jack Hodgins when there wasn't much else to do. She wasn't sure just what she was sifting through, and she was positive she didn't want to know.

"Note to self, never volunteer to help the bug and slime guy ever again," Willow muttered to herself. She loved her internship at the Jeffersonian, but this was one of the drawbacks. No matter how many times she had been covered in demon guts and stuff in high school, she never got used to it. She especially never reveled in it like Hodgins did. Hodgins seemed to enjoy grossing out the ladies he worked with. Since Dr. Brennan didn't get squeamish over much, that really meant Hodgins enjoyed grossing out Angela and herself.

Speaking of which, there seemed to be this odd flirtation going on between Hodgins and Angela. One would almost miss it if one weren't attuned to such things, but having been blind in the past had caused Willow to be on the look out so she wouldn't make that blunder again.

The one relationship everyone was sure was going to happen, eventually, was Dr. Temperance Brennan and her FBI partner, Special Agent Seeley Booth. The 'eventually' part was because both were stubborn, and Brennan needed to forgive Booth for nearly doing it with Buffy while under a mystical influence at a Halloween party. That had happened on Halloween itself and it was now early December. How much longer could this go on before it blew up in their faces?

Willow continued to muse on the love lives of those in the lab so she wouldn't have to think about just what she was washing out for Hodgins. Her own love life was going quite well, thank you.

She thought of Toni and smiled. Now there was a topic to take her mind off of the gross, disgusting, and dirty task before her.

-x-


	13. The Lab By Moonlight

**Title**: The Lab By Moonlight

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: T

**Summary**: Willow works late at the Jeffersonian one night.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Bones.

**Notes**: Challenge fic, set in my slightly AU season 5 Angelverse. Part of the "Willow, the Squint" subseries. Set after "Our Mrs. Addy", posted separately.

* * *

Willow stood examining the results of her latest program. The results were exactly what she wanted them to be. Buffy would be pleased with the new training software. Only if the new Watcher's Council would purchase a holographic projector, though, to run the program. Willow had stayed after everyone else had left for the last couple of weeks to work on the program, and to see it work correctly was rewarding.

Willow looked around the moonlit lab to see if there might be someone else working late, but no joy. Everyone was gone, even Dr. Brennan and her assistant Zack Addy were at home. Zack's being gone might have some thing to do with the fact he was recently married, of course. Gone were the days when Zack would stay till two or three in the morning just to impress Dr. Brennan. Dawn would never stand for that.

It was probably for the best. Now, if only Agent Booth could teach Dr. Brennan that there was more to life than the lab! The only reason Dr. Brennan wasn't here now was that they had just wrapped up their most recent case earlier that afternoon.

Willow stood up from the stool she had been sitting on while at the Angelator and walked out to main room. It was bathed in moonlight and shadows. The moon was full and shining through the skylight. The full moon always reminded Willow of Oz, her only boyfriend-- the werewolf.

She smiled at the thought of Oz. He would have been impressed at the last bit of coding in her 3-D vampire slayer training program; after all, they had been computer geeks before becoming werewolf and witch. Willow paused to send positive energy to Oz where ever he might be now. Then she changed out of her lab coat and grabbed her purse.

She left the Jeffersonian and looked at her watch, deciding that it wasn't too late to call her girlfriend, Toni.

-x-


	14. Dry Bones

**Title**: Dry Bones

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: T

**Summary**: Willow muses on the nastier aspects of her job.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Bones.

**Notes**: Challenge fic, set in my slightly AU season 5 Angelverse. Part of the "Willow, the Squint" subseries.

* * *

Booth brought in a badly decomposed body. Willow grimaced. She hated it when there were still bits attached to the bones.

After going over every possible detail, Dr. Brennan finally ordered her assistant, Zack Addy, to deflesh the bones. Willow was much happier after that-- less of an ick factor. Dry bones were much pleasanter to work with. Not that Willow had much to do with the bones, as she was there mostly for learning the holographic computer programming. Occasionally, though, Angela Montenegro, her actual boss, required Willow's help imputing the data from the bones into the Angelator.

After fighting pus spewing demons and dissecting baby bezoars and such for seven and a half years, Willow was ready to get out of the yuck business, but apparently that was not going to happen any time soon. Vampire dust was one thing, but bones with stuff, definitely not her thing.

Angela finished entering the information to search for the newest victim's identity, then turned the skull over to Willow to take back to Dr. Brennan. Willow didn't mind handling a dry skull, after all some of the spells she had preformed-- back in the day-- had called for the use of bones. Come to think of it, the spells had called for some pretty sick ingredients like smelly yak cheese to be stored in her bra or the vino de madre (from the spell to bring Buffy back) but somehow those ingredients hadn't seemed so gross. So she supposed she could get used to the not so dry corpses.

On the other hand, apparently Agent Booth hadn't gotten used to it either from comments that he had made recently. Booth had been a sniper and had been a FBI agent for at least eight years so maybe she wouldn't lose to much face if she never got used to it, either.

-x-


	15. Fallout From the Fallout Shelter

**Title**: Fallout From the Fallout Shelter

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: T

**Summary**: Willow emails Buffy with an update during the Christmas quarantine at the Jeffersonian.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Bones.

**Notes**: Challenge fic, set in my slightly AU season 5 Angelverse. This takes place during the Bones episode "Man in the Fallout Shelter". Part of the "Willow, the Squint" subseries.

* * *

_To_: slayercommathe at watchers dot net  
_From_: computerwitch at jeffersonian dot edu  
_Date_: December 23,2005 10:00pm  
_Subject_: I won't be home for the break.

Buffy,

First of all, Merry Christmas, Happy Winter Solstice, and Happy Hanukkah.  
Secondly, Zack sends Season's Greetings to Dawn.

Now for the real reason for this email. I won't be able to make it to Vegas for the holidays as I am currently quarantined in the lab. It is a rather funny story and I had to write to you to explain.

It all started at about 6pm, when Agent Booth had a body brought in. The company Christmas party was in full swing. Dr. Jack Hodgins went to the party, but Crystal from accounting was chasing him so he brought some eggnog back to the lab. He was drinking it next to Zack when Zack cut into the bones. Unfortunately, it was contaminated with Valley Fever spores. Hodgins inhaled them and probably exhaled them all over the rest of us so here we are quarantined until sometime on Christmas Day.

Dr. Goodman, Hodgins, Zack, Booth, Dr. Brennan, Angela and I are all here together. I haven't been a part of such a strange group of people for a spontaneous sleepover since your twenty-first birthday. Remember that? When Dawn made that unfortunate wish? The next couple of days promise to be equally interesting.

Angela wants Dr. Brennan and I to help her make Christmas for the others. I had to remind her that 'Hello, Jewish'. So I'm off the hook. Dr. Brennan doesn't seem to be much for Christmas either. She is, however, determined to solve the mystery of the body that Booth brought in.

I'll do what I can but I'm not much help. The body was found in a sealed fallout shelter with a bullet in the head. It seemed a straight-forward suicide, but Dr. Brennan said it wasn't so there is a mystery to solve. So think of me stuck here with a bunch of scientists for a few days as you and the Scoobies and slayers celebrate.

Willow.

-x-


	16. The Compass in the Lab

**Title**: The Compass in the Lab

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: T

**Summary**: Willow has Captain Jack Sparrow's compass.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Bones.

**Notes**: This takes place during the Bones episode "The Woman at the Airport". Challenge fic, set in my slightly AU season 5 Angelverse. Part of the "Willow, the Squint" subseries.

* * *

The main lab area was strangely silent, as Dr. Temperance Brennan was out in Los Angeles with Special Agent Seeley Booth on a case. Zack Addy and Dr. Jack Hodgins were bored and racing beetles. But the area assigned to Angela Montenegro and her student Willow Rosenberg was humming with activity.

They were working on an assignment from Dr. Goodman for another part of the museum. The Jeffersonian Institute wasn't just a forensic lab, it had a museum too. Their assignment was to create an interactive computer display on pirate navigation. The assortment of maps, sextons, compasses and other paraphernalia was taking up much of the available horizontal surfaces of the room.

Angela was at the controls of the display unit commonly referred to as the Angelator, since she had designed and built it and its programming. Willow was handling the scanning duties for each item. The program they were working on now included a fictional pirate ship called the "Jefferson" for visitors to try to plot a course to sail from Port Royal to Tortuga using the various instruments. It had a feature that would scan the person who wanted to try out the navigational instruments and project them into the simulation, appropriately attired, then with the aid of a joy stick they'd pick up a tool and a little window would pop up describing the tool and how to use it. Then the person would maneuver the tool into position and plot the course. For the program to work, there needed to be accurate information on what each tool looked like, thus the reason for the scans.

Willow picked up a small square case with the corners rounded. It was too small to be anything but a compass so she opened it. Sure enough ,it was a compass, but the needle wasn't pointing north.

"Angela, we need a different compass. This one is broken. It doesn't point north," Willow said.

"Let me see it." Angela put down the controls, then came over and took the compass that Willow handed her. She examined it for a few minutes before speaking again. "I know what this is. When I was in Jamaica a few years ago, I heard of a legend of a compass that didn't point North, but to the thing you most desire in all the world."

She and Willow watched as the needle swung crazily around and didn't stop. "I guess that confirms that I don't know what I want. You give it try," Angela said as she handed it back to Willow.

Willow took the compass and watched as the needle pointed toward the door. While Willow was trying to decide what that might mean, Toni Wood, dressed in her courier's uniform, stepped into the doorway.

Willow smiled. The compass had confirmed what Willow had been thinking about for weeks.

-x-


	17. A Superhero's Funeral

**Title**: A Superhero's Funeral

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: T

**Summary**: Willow gets ready to attend another funeral.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Angel or Bones.

**Notes**: Challenge fic. This takes place at the end of the Bones episode 1.12 "Superhero in the Alley". Set in my slightly AU season 5 Angelverse. Part of the "Willow, the Squint" subseries.

* * *

Willow stood looking in her mirror at home. She was dressed all in black again. It wasn't the kind of black for breaking and entering, no, it was the much sadder black for a funeral. This time it was for Warren Granger, the eighteen year old victim in Special Agent Seeley Booth's latest case.

Willow had felt an instant sympathy for Warren as he was only a few years younger then herself and had been a loner geek. She could relate, for that was what she had been pre-Buffy. Willow had had the chance to grow past that into a pretty and relatively popular witch. Warren would never have the chance to do any of that.

The name Warren also had unpleasant associations for Willow. A year and a half ago she had flayed and killed Warren Meers. Both Warrens had died too soon, one for trying to defend a battered wife from her abusive husband, the other for killing Willow's lover. Willow still felt guilt over the latter, and she believed she should, but the guilt no longer crippled her. She knew she had something in common with Booth though she never expressed it, for she knew he'd never understand; Booth killed for his country but she had for revenge.

Willow shook off the guilt-filled thoughts that she felt gathering like a storm and returned to thinking of Warren Granger. The teenager who had been dying and still managed, without superpowers, to stick up for a woman in need. She supposed that that could be considered a superpower too.

Willow had just finished getting dressed when Toni, her current girlfriend came into the room. She was also dressed for the funeral. Toni had managed to take a few hours off to pay her respects to a man who tried to do what she did every night-- save the innocent from the forces of darkness. Toni was a Slayer and fought actual demons and vampires, but Warren had fought a man who behaved like a demon. One warrior to another was how both Willow and Toni saw this gesture.

"Ready to go?" Toni asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be to bury one so young. I've had my fill of death." Willow said as she grasped Toni's hand. They left the apartment.

-x-


	18. Lucky Willow

**Title**: Lucky Willow

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: T

**Summary**: Willow thinks on her latest streak of luck.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Angel or Bones.

**Notes**: Challenge fic. This takes place during the Bones episode 1.13 "Woman in the Garden". Set in my slightly AU season 5 Angelverse. Part of the "Willow, the Squint" subseries. Refers to events of "Our Mrs. Addy", posted separately.

* * *

Willow was amused. Dr. Jack Hodgins had asked Special Agent Seeley Booth for a gun. Booth looked from Hodgins to Dr. Temperance Brennan and back and muttered something about squints wanting guns. The look on his face spoke volumes of bewilderment, amusement, and that the likelihood of that ever happening was small at best.

Willow would probably be the only squint to never ask for a gun. She agreed with her friend, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, that guns were never useful. Willow had more power than a mere gun. She had finally gained control of her magic and could do things to defend herself and others.

Willow had been lucky to have no need of those powers since coming to Washington D.C. She hadn't been involved in any apocalypses since that last one in Sunnydale in May. Nine months and no apocalypse on the horizon almost had Willow feeling confident that that was all behind her. She wasn't foolish enough to actually voice that thought aloud, however, and jinx herself into another apocalypse.

That calm was changing as her girlfriend, Toni Wood, was beginning slayer training under the Watchful eye of Dawn Summers-Addy. That was also a lucky break-- Dawn marrying Zack in Vegas around New Year's. They had decided to give marriage a good try and stay married. Dawn had been training to be a Watcher since Sunnydale and Toni would be her slayer. Dawn was a bit young and under-qualified but since the Council had been blown up, Giles was willing to let a half trained Watcher be in the field, especially since the Watcher in question was Buffy's sister and had been on ground zero for the fight against the First.

Willow was startled out of her reverie as Angela Montenegro, her boss, asked for her help. Time to actually earn her keep, Willow thought as she moved off to do just that.

-x-


	19. A Mother's Love

**Title**: A Mother's Love

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: FR13

**Summary**: Willow realizes that her parents might not be as bad as she thought.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Angel or Bones.

**Notes**: Challenge fic. This takes place during the Bones episode 1.14 "The Man on the Fairway". Set in my slightly AU season 5 Angelverse. Part of the "Willow, the Squint" subseries.

* * *

Willow had known, since Christmas, about Dr. Temperance Brennan's parents' disappearance. She knew, too, that the case with Jesse Kane's missing father was going to hit close to home for Dr. Brennan. Nothing hurt like issues involving parents, Willow knew.

While Shelia Rosenberg was around, she didn't pay much attention to Willow. Shelia had, in fact, been part of a crowd that had almost burned Willow, Amy and Buffy at the stake for being witches. Fortunately, the other Scoobies had been able to break the spell on the mob and put out the fire before they got hurt. Willow didn't know which would be worse, having loving parents who disappear or parents who are present but apathetic.

Joyce Summers, Buffy's mom, had been more of a mother to Willow than Shelia had in many ways. The fact that Joyce had spearheaded the group of people who had tried to burn them hadn't been Joyce's fault. When Joyce had died three years ago it had been like Willow had lost her mother as well. After Joyce's death, Willow had stopped in more often to see her own mother but the gap between them never really narrowed to a crossable distance. Shelia was proud, for awhile, of her lesbian daughter but that wore out before Tara had died. Willow knew where her parents went when they left Sunnydale in the great exodus last May but she hadn't really kept in touch.

Willow tore herself out of her maudlin thoughts and concentrated on writing her portion of the schematic to see if the skull fragment was part of Max Kane. When she finished, she ran it, and it determined that the fragment possibly was Max Kane's. They couldn't exclude it.

Willow decided now might be a good time to call her mom, so she dialed the Los Angeles number.

"Hi, Mom. It's Willow," she said when Shelia answered.

"Willow, honey, it is good to hear from you. How is... wherever it is you are these days?" Shelia inquired.

"I'm in Washington D.C. at the Jeffersonian Institute. And I'm great. I love my job and the people I work with. In fact..." Willow started to relay that she worked for Dr. Temperance Brennan, but her mother cut her off.

"That's great. I have got to go. I've got a lecture to give at UCLA in an hour," Shelia said. "I'll be in DC next week, how about I drop by the Jeffersonian and we have lunch?"

"Sounds good. I love you, Mom. Give my love to Dad," Willow said.

"I love you too. Bye," Shelia rushed and hung up.

Willow hung up the phone and smiled. Her mother may be distant but she knew that Shelia meant it when she said she loved Willow. Willow smiled and went back to work.

-x-


	20. No Dead Bones

**Title**: No Dead Bones

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: T

**Summary**: Willow worries about Dr. Brennan.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Angel or Bones.

**Notes**: Challenge fic. This is set during the Bones episode 1.18 "Man with the Bone". Set in my slightly AU season 5 Angelverse. Part of the "Willow, the Squint" subseries.

* * *

After all that had happened the last few days, Willow was worried for Dr. Brennan. The news that Agent Kenton had taken her to who knows where and was doing who knows what to her was alarming. Normally one wouldn't worry about Dr. Brennan but her knight in shining FBI standard issue body armor was laid up in the hospital.

Willow didn't see how Brennan was going to survive this, but she had finally accepted that death was a part of life. The lesson was hard learned. First with Buffy's death, Willow had not accepted it and found the Urn of Osiris and brought her back. Then with Tara, Willow had tried to call on Osiris again, but that had failed. Then Willow had gone all black and veiny and flayed Warren alive. The long road back from magic addiction and accepting of death was a process that Willow was still working through. Although she didn't want Dr. Brennan to be another lesson, Willow was prepared for it.

A few minutes later a call came from Dr. Jack Hodgins telling the waiting worried squints, Willow included, that he and Special Agent Seeley Booth, the afore mentioned knight in shining FBI standard issue body armor, were on their way to save Dr. Brennan. How much good Booth was in his present blown up condition, she couldn't imagine-- but then again, no one in their right mind would come between Booth and his partner. That was just stupid and Agent Kenton should know that so maybe he was just desperate.

Willow waited for news with Dr. Goodman, the head of the Jeffersonian, Zack Addy, Dr. Brennan's assistant, and Angela Montenegro, Willow's boss. It seemed like both forever and no time at all before Hodgins called to tell them that they had gotten there in time and there was no need to worry any longer. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief that the next dead body they would see was a case not one of their friends.

-x-


	21. Pirate Bonds

**Title**: Pirate Bonds

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: T

**Summary**: To Willow's amusement, the men of the Jeffersonian and Booth bond over pirate treasure.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Angel or Bones.

**Notes**: Challenge fic. This is set during the Bones episode 1.18 "Man with the Bone". Set in my slightly AU season 5 Angelverse. Part of the "Willow, the Squint" subseries.

* * *

The words "pirate" and "arrr" were still ringing in Willow's ears when she got to work later that day. Men and pirates, what was so fascinating about them? She remembered the year Xander Harris had dressed up like a pirate; he had never stopped saying "Arrr."

Of course, that had also been the day that he and Anya had announced their engagement. Everyone had been happy that day, well, except for Dawn. Dawn had snuck out with her best friend and met up with two guys who had turned out to be vampires. Buffy hadn't been pleased to find her little sister necking with a vamp. Willow had been happy, too, until Tara had gotten on her case about too much magic. But by and large the Scoobies had been happy. The fight with the First hadn't taken its toll yet, nor had Tara been killed, and Willow hadn't gone all black and veiny and tried to destroy the world. So many memories were bonded to the image of Xander as a pirate.

Special Agent Seeley Booth, Dr. Jack Hodgins, and Zack Addy were apparently bonding over a love of pirates, too. Booth usually ignored Hodgins's ideas, but he was actually listening to the idea of Blackbeard's treasure. Willow had yet to figure out what drew men to pirates. Sure, she enjoyed the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Captain Jack Sparrow was fun, but she had no wish to be a pirate.

Somehow Hodgins got the pirate bug so bad that he went back to the site in hopes of another dive. It seemed that he had bonded with the chief diver of the salvage company. His hopes of finding treasure were sure to be disappointed, but the pirate bug had struck.

Willow was surprised when Hodgins came back with a gold coin. So maybe the guys knew something after all.

-x-


	22. With A Little Help From My Friends

**Title**: With A Little Help From My Friends

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: T

**Summary**: The Squints, Willow, and Booth rally around Angela in her time of need.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Angel or Bones.

**Notes**: Challenge fic. This is set during the Bones episode 1.17 "The Skull in the Desert". (Fox aired the episodes out of order; in production order it would have come after 1.18 "The Man with the Bone", so this follows Pirate Bonds). Set in my slightly AU season 5 Angelverse. Part of the "Willow, the Squint" subseries.

* * *

Willow had heard the quiver of fear in Angela Montenegro's voice when she asked to talk to Dr. Temperance Brennan, her best friend, alone. Willow knew something was wrong. She sent out a silent prayer to the Goddess Gaia for calming to Angela. Willow feared there was not much she could do, but she knew Brennan would take care of it.

She was the only one not surprised when Brennan took an impromptu vacation to the desert. Willow would have done the same if her best friend, Buffy Summers, had called sounding like that. The thing that surprised Willow was that Special Agent Seeley Booth dropped everything and flew out to the desert because Brennan called. It did confirm what she had suspected for months, the FBI Agent had feelings for the Forensic Anthropologist.

When the skull arrived later the next afternoon, Willow was on her own to do the skull reconstruction after Zack Addy, Dr. Brennan's grad student, and Dr. Jack Hodgins, the bug, slime and dirt guy, finished with the skull. She came up with a picture that resembled Kirk Persinger, but didn't exactly match like Angela's would have. Fortunately, DNA came back with an exact match to Kirk so they didn't have to rely on Willow's work.

The news of the match confirmed Willow's fears. She paused to send some comforting vibes Angela's way. Willow knew that it wouldn't make much difference, but having been in the position of losing a lover, a little difference might be enough to keep Angela from going over the edge like Willow had.

Willow knew that Booth and Brennan were doing all they could for Angela out in New Mexico, so she focused on helping get the answers back in the lab. Dr. Goodman, the Director of the Jeffersonian Institute, and Hodgins were giving Zack a hard time. Willow understood the motivation behind this, to get Zack to finish at least one of his two in progress doctorates, but she feared that that might back fire.

-x-


	23. Of Voodoo Curses

**Title**: Of Voodoo Curses

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: T

**Summary**: Willow runs up against a different kind of curse: Voodoo.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Angel or Bones.

**Notes**: Challenge fic. This is set during the Bones episode 1.19 "The Man in the Morgue". Set in my slightly AU season 5 Angelverse. Part of the "Willow, the Squint" subseries.

* * *

Special Agent Seeley Booth was in New Orleans, and Angela Montenegro, Willow's teacher, and Zack Addy, Dr. Brennan's assistant, were at the Jeffersonian Institute in Washington D.C., and all three were having a conversation over the speaker phone. Willow couldn't exactly help overhearing when Booth had responded to Angela's question about why Brennan wasn't coming home yet with an answer about Brennan being cursed with Voodoo Amnesia.

Willow shook her head. She thought she had finished with curses last year when she had had to recurse Angel with his soul. But that was another story that Willow wasn't going to dwell on now. Instead, she thought on Angel's look-a-like, Agent Booth, and his forensic anthropologist.

Willow knew nothing about Voodoo curses but she hoped they'd be able break it before too long. If it went on too long, she could always call Giles in Vegas, but she didn't want to bug him for something that might straighten itself out before she could reach him. Giles could be in England gathering the last of the Old Watchers Council assets, or he could be somewhere else in the world chasing down a newly found Slayer. Theoretically, Giles could be at home, but the last couple of times she had called he hadn't been in and returned her calls days later.

A couple of days later, both Booth and Brennan were gathered with Angela, Zack, Dr. Jack Hodgins, and Willow in Brennan's office. Brennan still had no memory of the missing twenty-four hours. She tried a rational explanation but Booth said there were no drugs in her blood work. Brennan then tried to say that maybe she was too traumatized to remember anything, but Angela pointed out that Brennan was too strong for that line of reasoning.

Willow, personally, agreed and, from the nods around the room, so did everyone else. Willow found the Voodoo theory as plausible as any.

-x-


	24. The Art of Death

**Title**: The Art of Death

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: T

**Summary**: Willow is involved in the case of Amy Cullen.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Angel or Bones.

**Notes**: Challenge fic. This is set during the Bones episode 1.20 "The Graft in the Girl". Set in my slightly AU season 5 Angelverse. Part of the "Willow, the Squint" subseries.

* * *

Willow couldn't believe the speed at which the cancer had spread in the bone graft recipients. The illness was killing otherwise healthy people in less than a year. Didn't it take years to die of cancer? That was the way it always sounded on the news. Amy Cullen was dying after only a year with her graft. No treatments were working. It just wasn't fair.

Willow became even more determined than usual to find a solution. Amy reminded her of her best friend, Buffy Summers. Buffy's determination to fight when the outcome seemed already decided, like the time with the Master, was like what Amy exhibited in fighting this cancer. Buffy had known the prophecy about her death but had faced the Master anyway, and she was still here.

Okay, so Buffy _had_ died that night, but their friend, Xander Harris, had performed CPR and Buffy was still here. So Buffy had died a second time and this time Willow herself had resurrected her, but the point was Buffy had fought and was still fighting and Amy was fighting. Why couldn't Amy survive her battles, too?

Willow noticed that she wasn't the only one affected. Her teacher, Angela Montenegro, seemed to be taken in as well. Amy displayed a talent that drew Angela's artistic side to her as a fellow artist. Willow was more than happy to digitize the painting that Amy had given Angela and help set up the equipment to project it on the hospital wall. She was extremely gratified by the look of wonder on Amy's face as the girl realized just what fun computers could be.

While Angela and Willow were trying to make some of Amy's dreams come true, Special Agent Seeley Booth and Dr. Temperance Brennan worked on solving who had done this to Amy. They succeeded, and in the process saved several people from the same fate, but that didn't save Amy. Angela felt guilty because there was nothing more she could do, so Dr. Jack Hodgins suggested that she build the Louvre digitally so Amy could see another dream come true. Willow thought this was an excellent idea and helped gather the pictures for input into the program.

Nothing could heal Amy, but at least they had made her happy for a little while.

-x-


	25. Heroes in the Jeffersonian

**Title**: Heroes in the Jeffersonian

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: T

**Summary**: Willow and the Squints deal with a death at Arlington National Cemetery.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Angel or Bones.

**Notes**: Challenge fic. This is set during the Bones episode 1.21 "The Soldier on the Grave". Set in my slightly AU season 5 Angelverse. Part of the "Willow, the Squint" subseries.

* * *

Willow knew bad things were coming and that the next few days would be like a vacation in a Hell dimension.

The newest case the team was working on was a person who was found torched on a grave at Arlington National Cemetery. That was not the bad, however. The bad was that Dr. Jack Hodgins was an outspoken conspiracy theorist and critic of the government and Special Agent Seeley Booth was former military and a supporter of the government. The fact that they both had to work this case was going to be bad and uncomfortable.

Not to mention that the case was hitting too close to home for Booth and Dr. Temperance Brennan was trying to keep him objective. Willow hoped this didn't end as badly as it looked like it would. This was looking to be a disagreement on the level of the time Buffy knew she might have to kill Anya for the way she was going about being a vengeance demon, and Xander had been trying to find another solution. That had ended well, at least for Anya, as she hadn't died, though D'Hoffryn had killed Halfrek instead. Willow was reassured that no matter how Booth and Hodgins disagreed at least no one was going to die.

Willow was grateful when Angela Montenegro, her teacher and friend, noticed the tension and stepped in. Angela talked to Hodgins, who seemed to actually listened. Willow was going to have to keep an eye on that couple to see what developed. Angel also encouraged Brennan to be there for Booth, not to spout anthropology texts at him. Every one seemed to be dealing with the case all right.

Hodgins not only listened, but also offered an olive branch to Booth. Willow knew that Hodgins actually liked the FBI man as a friend and was happy to see it expressed. She decided that both Angela and Hodgins were heroes in their own way for being there for friends. That was one lesson Willow had learned on the Hellmouth-- heroes didn't just save the world, they cared about the people in that world too.

-x-


	26. The Zeppo Redux

**Title**: The Zeppo Redux

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: T

**Summary**: Willow falls into Xander's usual role-- snack go getter.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Angel or Bones.

**Notes**: Challenge fic. This is set during the Bones episode 1.22 "Woman in Limbo". Set in my slightly AU season 5 Angelverse. Part of the "Willow, the Squint" subseries.

* * *

Willow stared as Dr. Temperance Brennan seemed to go nuts just looking at the holographic recreation of the latest Jane Doe. Willow almost agreed with Zack's assessment of possible caffeine intolerance. That theory made as much sense as any. Then Special Agent Seeley Booth came in and made a phone call. He canceled Dr. Brennan's court appearance and then explained that the Jane Doe was actually Christine Brennan. Willow was shocked at that revelation. She knew about Brennan's heartache but had thought that someday they would find her parents alive.

Willow was more determined than ever to help solve the case and ease the heartache. There had been people Willow had lost for no good reason to natural causes and she had also lost loved ones to murder. In the latter case there was still something that could be done-- just as long as it didn't involve flaying someone alive, or even dead. It might make you feel like you were doing something but in the long run it leads to black eyes and veins and trying to destroy the world.

If it was possible to prevent that Willow was willing to do anything. Everyone else apparently agreed. Zack had briefly called his wife, Dawn formerly Summers, and explained why he wasn't coming home. Zack reported that she said for him to stay as long as necessary to solve this one. Willow understood that she was thinking of her mother's death. Joyce Summer's death had hit everybody in their gang, but it had been hardest on Dawn.

Willow had been trying to find away to lessen Dr. Brennan's sorrow since the case about Jesse Kane's dad a couple months but nothing had come up. Here was something tangible she could do. There was not much call for the computer knowledge that Willow had, but she could make sure that those who knew more had enough caffeine and snacks to get through this.

Willow now understood how Xander had felt their senior year, being relegated to fetching doughnuts and snacks. Willow was too much of a feminist to do that on a regular basis, but she was smart enough to know when it was the best way she could help.

-x-


	27. A New Boss

**Title**: A New Boss

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: T

**Summary**: Willow and the Squints get a new boss.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Angel or Bones.

**Notes**: Challenge fic. This is set during the Bones episode 2.1 "Titan on the Tracks". Set in my slightly AU season 5 Angelverse. Part of the "Willow, the Squint" subseries.

* * *

Willow stared at Dr. Camille Saroyan as she talked to Special Agent Seeley Booth. There was definitely a history between the two of them. The way Dr. Saroyan kept touching him and the way he smiled at her spoke volumes of about their past. It was clear that they obviously had a sexual relationship of some kind, but it was past-- although Dr. Saroyan looked like she wouldn't mind if they resumed that relationship. Willow supposed that if Oz ever came back into her life again she might act in similar fashion. Goodness knows that Buffy and Angel, even though they tried to fight it, acted like Dr. Saroyan.

Willow was not disposed to like the new boss lady, since Dr. Saroyan had tried calling her a Willow Tree on the first day in the lab. Willow had thrown the resolved face at the new boss and told her to go to stuff it. Fortunately, Dr. Saroyan had backed off and left the red head to her lessons from Angela Montenegro.

Willow had been with her teacher in encouraging the possibility of a relationship between Dr. Temperance Brennan and Booth, so to have this past flame turn up in a position of authority really irked Willow. She was possessive of her people and some how over the last nine months these lab rats and the FBI man had become her people as much as the Scoobies had ever been her people. Willow got jealous of the time others took her people away and Dr. Saroyan was taking Booth away.

The only way around that jealous feeling was if Dr. Saroyan became a part of Willow's people. The last person that had reluctantly been admitted was Sam Finn. Willow had been all prepared to hate Mrs. Finn for Buffy's sake, but in the end even Buffy had liked Sam. Maybe this new boss would be like Mrs. Finn. Willow decided to give her a chance.

-x-


	28. Dreamy Illusions

**Title**: Dreamy Illusions

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: T

**Summary**: Willow has a very interesting dream.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy or Angel or Bones.

**Notes**: Challenge fic. This story is not set in any particular time period for Bones. Set in my slightly AU season 5 Angelverse. Part of the "Willow, the Squint" subseries.

* * *

"Kiss me, my love," said a soft male voice next to her ear. Willow turned her head to look into the adoring eyes of Seeley Booth and obeyed. They were already sprawled out on the bed so that when the passion overtook them, they would not have to move. Seeley had his hand on the back of her lower leg and was slowly moving his hand gently up and down her calf. Willow had her arms wrapped around his waist with her hands clinging to his back for dear life. She was moaning softly.

With his lips right above her ear, he whispered seductively," Oh Willow. My Willow tree. Willow."

"Willow." Angela Montenegro said as she shook Willow's shoulder. Since that didn't work, she tried again this time she shook the shoulder harder and almost shouted, "Willow Rosenberg."

Willow woke up with a start. She looked blearily around trying to shake off the illusion of the dream that still clung to her like the sweaty cotton sheets she dreamt she had been laying on. She quickly realized that she was not in some tropical vacation home, but at work in the Holographic area of the Jeffersonian Institute in Washington D.C. Furthermore the hunk was not her boyfriend. She had a girlfriend, not a boyfriend, who would be more than a little jealous if she ever found out about Willow's dream.

"That must have been some dream, if it is taking you this long to really wake up from it," teased Angela, Willow's boss.

"It was," Willow agreed.

"Do share," encouraged Angela.

"Well, it started off innocently enough. I was on vacation in Jamaica, staying in one of those open houses on a pristine white sand beach over looking a cobalt blue ocean," Willow started hesitantly describing her dream. "Don't we have work to do?" She asked not really wanting to share the part of the dream from which she awoke.

"Not until Brennan and booth get back with the latest case. So share," Angela answered, noting that Willow blushed at the mention of the FBI Special Agent. "So, Booth made an appearance in your dream," she observed.

Willow's face reddened more, until it was almost the color of her hair. "Yeah, he did. It wasn't just a cameo, either, but a staring role," she replied. She liked her boss because usually she felt like she had a best friend like Buffy around, but there were times that she could cheerfully strangle Angela. Now was one of those times.

Angela leaned forward, in her seat knowing that the good stuff was coming, and prodded, "And?"

"And, well, we were, uh, naked. That's all I ever intend to share about that dream," Willow rushed, hoping that Angela would drop it.

"You and Booth?! NAKED?!" Angela screeched in excitement. This was more than she was hoping for.

"Yes," Willow said still blushing.

A very male, "Ahem," came from the doorway to their workspace. Both ladies turned to find Special Agent Seeley Booth framed in doorway. He had one eyebrow raised in a question.

Willow realized what he must have heard and her face did actually turn the color of her hair.

"What was that?" Booth asked as if he were baffled by the statement that was nearly screamed at him as he walked into the Holographics area.

"N... n... nothing, sir." Willow stammered, embarrassed beyond the telling of it.

"Willow was telling me about a dream she had. Nothing to worry about," Angela explained.

"I'm glad to hear it," Booth replied, looking relieved that no one had plans to rip his clothes off then and there. Willow was still looking for the earth to open up and swallow her. Booth must have noticed her level of discomfort, because he came over and whispered for her alone to hear, "No one will ever find out about this from me. At least as long as you quit calling me sir."

"Yes , si... Sure thing Booth," Willow replied.

"Now let's get down to business," Booth said, changing the subject.

-x-


	29. A Willow the Squint Thanksgiving

**Title**: A Willow the Squint Thanksgiving

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: K+

**Summary**: Willow gives thanks.

**Disclaimer**: I own neither Bones or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I'm just having a little holiday fun with the characters and will return them to their owners full of turkey in the morning.

**Notes**: Challenge fic. This is part of the Willow the Squint universe. Written November 23, 2006.

* * *

Willow looked around the table at the assorted 'family' she had gathered since last year at the same time. There was of course Buffy and her sister Dawn, and Dawn's husband, Zack Addy. Dr. Temperance Brennan and her brother, Russ were next around the table. Dr. Brennan's FBI partner, Seeley Booth, was next. Then Willow's boss, Angela Montenegro, and Dr. Jack Hodgins, and then Dr. Camille Saroyan. Willow's girlfriend, Tori Wood completed the circle. The group was a strange mix, but it was a lively group.

Buffy had been banned from the kitchen because of what happened several years ago when she had tried make the perfect Thanksgiving. Willow had instead taken charge of the turkey herself, and then assigned the other guests a dish to bring. The results were laid out before her. The table fairly groaned with food, and there were only eleven people to eat it all.

Willow smiled at the group, then spoke. "I suggest that we each take a moment to say what we are thankful for this year. I'll start. I'm thankful for my job and that I have friends where I work."

"I'm thankful that we survived another year without a Hellmouth exploding," Buffy said.

Willow and Dawn nodded. Those that hadn't survived Sunnydale merely smiled. They didn't know what the Slayer meant, but knew it was important.

Dawn's turn came. "I'm thankful for my husband." She looked away and blushed.

Zack blushed as well. "I'm thankful for my wife." Everyone just smiled and nodded at that.

"I'm thankful for finding my brother," Dr. Brennan simply stated. She looked at Russ, who gave her hand a squeeze.

"I am thankful you found me too. I am also thankful for finally knowing what happened to Mom," Russ added.

It was Booth's turn next. "I'm glad I was finally able to settle things with Rebecca. She and I have finally agreed about Parker."

"Are you going to see him today?" Brennan asked.

"Yeah, Rebecca is going to bring him over tonight and he'll spend the night." Booth smiled.

"That's good," Russ said.

Angela was next. "I'm thankful that I am not the only 'normal' person in the lab any more." She looked directly at Willow.

Willow smiled at this indication that she was appreciated.

"I'm thankful that I didn't have to be with my relatives today," Hodgins added.

Cam's turn was next. "I'm thankful to be in a state of the art lab with people I respect."

Tori finished the circle. "I'm thankful for Willow." She smiled at Willow.

Willow blushed, then to cover her embarrassment said, "Let's eat."

Everyone dug into the food closest to them.

-x-


	30. Monkey Bones

**Title**: Monkey Bones

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: T

**Summary**: Willow asks Dr. Brennan for a favor.

**Disclaimer**: I own neither Bones or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

**Notes**: Challenge fic. This is a part of the Willow the Squint series but has no definite date.

* * *

Willow paced nervously in front of Dr. Temperance Brennan's office. She was waiting for Dr. Brennan to arrive at the Jeffersonian Institute. She knew how rare it was that she actually got to work before Dr. Brennan. Dr. Brennan was the quintessential workaholic so it had to be really early.

Willow had received a call from Buffy at three a.m. that morning. Buffy normally would have waited to call, but apparently Giles had researched the demon gathering planned for that night, and the Satack demon was rather nasty but could be fought with a powerful enough Wicca and a potion. Willow knew that she would be more than powerful enough, and that she had all the ingredients for the potion-- except one. That was the reason she was pacing and waiting for Dr. Brennan. While Willow did not have access to the missing ingredient, Dr. Brennan did.

After another fifteen minutes of pacing, Dr. Brennan finally showed up. She looked at Willow and motioned her into the office.

"Miss Rosenberg, is there something I can do for you?" Brennan inquired.

"Yes. I need a really big favor," Willow began, nervously.

"Well, what is it?" Brennan asked.

"I need to borrow a right thigh bone from a monkey for a couple of hours," Willow said at full speed.

"You need a monkey thigh? Why?" asked a shocked Brennan.

"I need to use it to brew a potion to fight a Satack demon. You'll get it back this afternoon in perfect condition I just need to have it in the potion while it brews sort of like a bay leaf in a soup. It gets taken out after the potion brews but before use."

"What does the Satack demon do?" Brennan asked, curiously.

"Buffy didn't say, but she was seriously wigged out. The demon is supposed to rise tonight in Las Vegas. I can teleport there and back no problem, but I need the monkey thigh and a few hours. So, can I borrow it?" Willow explained.

Brennan went to her personal store of primate specimens and pulled out a thighbone and handed it to Willow, saying, "Why don't you take the day off and return this to me tomorrow? I'll tell Angela that you were needed elsewhere today. She'll understand."

"Thanks," Willow said as she took the monkey bone and left.

For the second day in a row Willow was waiting for Dr. Brennan when she arrived at her office. Willow was carrying a box with her. Brennan again waved Willow into the office as soon as she had unlocked the door.

"Thank you for the loan of the monkey bone," Willow said as she placed the box on Brennan's desk. She pulled the lid off. "See? Totally unharmed."

Brennan carefully picked the bone out of the tissue paper bed inside the box. "I can see that. How did it go?"

"Oh, fine. The potion worked like a charm. I said a little chant, threw the potion into the middle of the ritual, and poof, no more Satack demons. There was an ick factor of about fourteen, though, as they exploded in a rain of yellow and green goo all over me, Buffy, and about half a dozen junior slayers. Fortunately, Giles and Andrew had some industrial strength demon goo remover back at the warehouse/school they run. So everything is of the good," Willow said, with a slight shudder at the memory of the goo.

"That's good. I guess," Brennan replied..

"I need to go tell Angela that I'm here and ready to work so I'll just be going now," Willow said as she walked out the door. "Thanks again."

-x-


End file.
